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At a news conference at the state Capitol in Madison on Thursday, also attended by representatives of the South Central Federation of Labor and AFL-CIO, union workers voiced frustration with the stalled negotiations.

Thursday’s event was also attended by state legislators, who voiced support for the ongoing labor action.

Anna Farrington, a striking X-Ray technician at the Mercyhealth East clinic, said the event was a morale booster.

“It makes me feel hopeful to see so many government officials here. It’s nice to know that we aren’t alone, like this isn’t for nothing,� she said.

Enrique Casiano, chairperson of UAW Local 95’s Unit 12, told a crowd gathered at the Capitiol that the strike is about dignity, safety, and respect.

“For over two months now, we’ve kept and we’ve held a line,� Casiano said. “Through missed paychecks, through uncertainty, through sacrifice, we’ve stayed united because our fight is about dignity, about safety and about respect.�

Casiano referenced the state motto, “Forward,� saying, “’Forward’ means fair contracts.�

“Forward means healthcare families can afford. Forward means respect on the job. And forward means strong unions that are unbreakable and unstoppable.�

Casiano framed the struggle as an issue of corporate greed and a fight for Wisconsin’s soul.

“I’ll tell you what doesn’t make sense. Trying to run a hospital without the workers who actually keep it alive,� he said. He added that the workers’ unity is their greatest strength. “We are stubborn. We are strong. We are united. We are union strong.�

Judy McRoberts, president of UAW Local 95, highlighted security as a primary concern, citing an incident in which a nurse found someone sleeping in a break room.

“It’s most important that we have some kind of security in that building and that parking lot,� McRoberts said.

Sandy Welch, vice president of Local 95 and a member of its bargaining committee, said management failed to confirm a recent bargaining meeting, delaying negotiations. Welch also shared accounts of patients complaining about the quality of care since the strike began.

“We’ve had patients come out to the picket line and complain and we’ve had to actually send them to other places because they didn’t know, inside, how to register people that were from out of town. So, I mean, that’s unforgivable for them,� Welch said.

The union has set up a solidarity pantry for members, supported by community donations. Welch said this support helps them “stay out there one day longer, one day stronger.�

Nilsa Vasquez, a member of SEIU Wisconsin who works in long-term healthcare said she attended the UAW Local 95 rally to show her support, saying it’s important to stand together in “strength in numbers� to fight for the rights of all workers. She said she believes the Mercyhealth administration is handling the situation poorly by not showing up to negotiate.

Lora Schmid-dolan and Connie Allen both belong to Madison Teachers Inc., that represents about 2,800 workers in the Madison Metropolitan School District. They attended the rally to show their solidarity with the striking UAW Local 95 members.

Schmid-dolan said she felt the visual support of being there for the UAW was important.

“I’ve been down to their strike line twice. I’ve supported their strike fund. I think it’s important that when union members go on strike, that other union members and community members come out and support them,� Schmid-dolan said.

In response to the rally, Mercyhealth Media Relations Specialist Therese Michels said the organization was “sticking to their original statement.�

The original statement, from Mercyhealth Vice President Jeni Hallatt, in July, said Mercyhealth has treated its 137 “employee/partners... in a fair and equitable manner.�

“To protect Mercyhealth East’s patients and partners, Mercyhealth will implement a strategic plan to continue providing excellent care to our community. There will be no disruption in patient care,� Hallatt said.

Lawmaker backing

Democratic lawmakers also spoke out in support of the striking workers on Thursday.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, a former nurse, said she understands the workers’ struggle.

“As a nurse, I’ve been there. I remember the panic in the pit of my stomach when one more patient was wheeled into my emergency room, and I wasn’t sure that I could give them the care that they deserve,� she said.

Rodriguez vowed to “keep using my voice and my platform to make sure workers are heard and respected.�

State Sen. Mark Spreitzer, a Democrat from Beloit, said legislative Democrats sent a letter to Mercyhealth urging them to negotiate.

“What have we heard in response to that letter? Crickets,� Spreitzer said. He added that the hospital’s public values don’t align with their actions.

“The unionized staff at Mercy East Clinic make sure that the Janesville community is able to get the health care that they need. And let me tell you, I have heard the stories, and right now, people in that clinic are not getting the health care that they need,� Spreitzer said.

State Rep. Ann Roe, a Democrat from Janesville, called the workers’ demands “fair and safe, simple asks.�

“The math is simple. Invest in our capable, compassionate, and professional frontline workers and support those who benefit the patients, the community, and Wisconsin,� Roe said. “I am asking Mercyhealth to put their money where their mouth is and do the right thing.�

State Rep. Brianne Brown, a Democrat from Whitewater, said the strike is about more than a single clinic.

“Every right we have today was won because workers before us refused to accept abuse as the price of survival,� Brown said. “This is not radical, this is not selfish, this is justice.�

McRoberts, the union president, also framed the strike as a fight for democracy, claiming the attacks on unions are an attack on democracy itself.

Brown led the crowd in a chant, concluding with, “When we fight... We win! When we fight... We win!�

The union, with a history in Janesville dating back to the 1937 General Motors strike, remains on the picket line. The date for the next bargaining session is unknown.